Written Stories | Cuentos Escritos

As part of the story-collecting process, Historias Monarca collects both written and oral stories about migration, environmentally friendly practices and the symbolism of the monarch butterfly. These stories have primarily been collected through our collaboration with community organizations like Enlace, and through dialogues, workshops and tabling events. Here you will find some of the written stories people have shared. You will also have a chance to share your story if you wish. We are looking forward to reading your story!

Historias Monarca recolecta entrevistas y cuentos escritos sobre migración, prácticas ambientales y el simbolismo de la mariposa monarca. Recolectamos estas historias en colaboración con organizaciones de la comunidad como Enlace. Aquí encontrarás cuentos compartidos en los talleres y varios eventos. ¡También los invitamos a compartir sus cuentos con nosotros!

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These stories were shared at Little Village Education Collaborative Resource Fair in Little Village, Chicago on October 8, 2016

“En nuestro centro nosotros entrenamos y le proveemos a las familias como criar monarcas. Les proveemos milkweed y los huevecillos. Es un partnership entre el centro y las familias.” – Rosa

“Plante plantas que son buenas para que las mariposas vengan a mi jardín y obtengan su alimento.” – Ivonna

“Hola mi historia es que la mariposa monarcas que es muy bonita. Ella se reproduce mucho y son muy bonitas y es medio tristeza saber que en este invierno que paso, había una nevada y murieron muchos que no puedo contar cuantas pero ellos son muy bonitos y bellos.” -Rosa

“Es un tesoro regional y mucha gente se dedica a cuidarla porque viaja a grandes distancias y durante su trayecto a veces mueren es por eso que debemos cuidarlas.” – Leticia

“Para mi la mariposa monarca significa poder y valor. Ellas vuelan desde Canadá hasta México, Michoacán solo guiadas por su instinto. Este acto demuestra valentía, fuerza y poder. Así como somos los Latinos fuertes valientes, y resilientes.” – Rocio

“Sí cheque las plantas en el parque del 31 y habían larvas y huevos. Nacieron 5 mariposas! Aprendí en Chicago con una amiga del equipo de fútbol. Con mis amigas, hay vemos cuentas nacen y quien tiene más. Ahorita tenemos una. Sí voy a plantar la echinácea.” – Reyna

These stories were shared at LCC’s Día de los Muertos at the University of Illinois, Chicago on November 2, 2016

“I don’t think my family talked much about butterfly conservation in particular growing up, but we’ve always cared about conservation. My aunts have a cabin in Wisconsin that we’d visit every year. There was no TV or internet so we’d look out the big window into the woods. We’d watch the hummingbirds and goldfinch, the robins and sparrows. We called it “Nature TV” and I think similar things that help the butterflies also help birds. They’re also pollination! Butterflies have also been around, but it’s hard to predict. I’d love to visit Michoacán someday to see the reserve though. Like the woods in Wisconsin, which have shrunk with development since my youth, the woods and prairies across north america are threatened.” – Lena

“The monarch butterfly represents renewal, and our connection to the ancestors and lost loved ones. Restoring prairie habitats is of utmost importance to the conservation efforts.” – Anonymous

“When I was 7 years old I went to the Monarch butterfly reserve in Michoacán and Estado de Mexico. I saw them as overwhelmingly beautiful and great experience. Seeing monarch butterflies remind me of the beautiful and diverse state of Michoacán.” – Evelyn

“Growing up, my grandma & the rest of my mother’s family always told us that butterflies were people that recently passed away, or lost souls searching for a place to rest. If a butterfly landed on you or near you, it meant that you had “good energy.” My grandma always keeps pots full of flowers on her porch, and believes that brighter flowers attract more butterflies. Now with my knowledge about butterflies and pollinators, I hope I can help aid Monarch conservation in planting plants that specifically attracts them, and serve as something to keep them thriving.” – Anonymous

“The monarch butterfly to me symbolizes freedom, adventure, strength and transformation. They remind me of my family crossing through national and state borders to come to the U.S. A little boy once shared with me that just like the caterpillars, people go through transformations and changes to hopefully one day become butterflies.” – Anonymous

“To me, the Monarch butterfly represent hope and strength. It’s a symbol of Welcome and following your dreams just like my mother who is a Mexican immigrant.” – Anonymous

“The Monarch means resistance and resilience for me. My Mexican and Salvadoran family has endured many migration experiences geographically within my family, witnessing different migrations of work, education, and family formations. I am currently collecting scraps of paper to make a paper seed bomb full of purple coneflower and milkweed. I plan on exploding these in my hometown in Los Angeles County in California and the neighborhoods of Chicago that have made a grand impact on me such as Little Village and Pilsen. I also hope to use the dried flower of the purple coneflower to make a tea as an herbal remedy. This flower not only supports the existence of the Monarch butterfly, but also to communities of people seeking herbal remedies.” – Sarita

“Last year, I was fortunate enough to raise two beautiful monarch butterflies. We took care of them from the time they were eggs to the time they began their migration. As they grew, it felt so special because they were so unique in their own ways. I hadn’t fully understood the importance in their migration until it was time for them to fly. By seeing that they could move freely, it spoke to the story of my family, who fled poverty in our home country. As they flew, I understood that migration is so natural and beautiful. I am so blessed to have had this experience.” – Anonymous

“I have been able to raise monarchs and it was a beautiful experience. Monarchs are a great connection to nature & understanding the decline in monarchs can create more awareness of climate change.” – Anonymous

“The Monarch butterfly conservation is important because they carry the spirits of our departed loved ones to their resting place.” – Anonymous

These stories were shared at Noche de Muertos in La Ronda Parakata, Lakefront, Chicago on November 5, 2016

“A butterfly signifies the Metamorphosis we grow through life. We shed and grow. Sometimes like a butterfly we don’t see our beauty. To keep their beauty going I’ll spread these seeds near an empty lot near my house. In hopes I will see them.” – Anonymous

“Me identifico con la mariposa monarca porque como la mariposa yo me siento como un inmigrante en forma que mis padres siempre nos mudamos cada 5 años hasta que mi madre compró una casa.” – Anonymous

“This year I planted two pots of butterfly food in my porch garden. The flowers have been blooming since mid-summer & have continued into the fall. I’ve seen a few caterpillars in the other pots & a bunch of little palomitas all summer. It’s beautiful to see them & help butterflies grow in small ways.” – Amanda

“At school, I raised monarcas by collecting the eggs from the milkweed leaf and then it turned into a chrysalis and it became a monarca.” – Mateo

“Pasaba de carreta y siempre pasaba por las monarcas pero nunca me baje para ver las y hasta luego cuando llegue a los EEUU empeze a ver mucho sobre la mariposa monarca. Siempre pasaba entre guadalajara y michoacán y nunca me baje para ver las, pero ya ni hay árboles para la mariposa y casi ni hay muchas monarcas como antes. Es muy triste pero con la gente que siembra, podemos ayudar. Por eso le digo a mi nieta sobre el Dia de muerto y las mariposas que son las almas de muertos y le digo sobre la Isla de Janitzio que trae muchas mariposas durante la temporada del dia de muerto.” – Reynaldo

These stories were shared at the Spring Seed Swap in the Jane Addams Hull-House Dining Hall on April 9, 2017

“La mariposa monarca para mi significa una coneción con la naturaleza, México, y mi familia. A mi familia le gusta la jardinería y mantener practice tradiciones culturales.” – Anonymous

“I didn’t have a quinceñera, but I’ve heard from friends that there’s a popular song called the waltz of the butterfly that people do. There’s arm movements that mimic the butterfly’s wings.” – Anonymous

“Migration is very important when it comes to Mexican history. I travel back between Chicago and Mexico and each time I go back to Mexico it’s like I’m coming back home. I would like to help preserve the monarcas natural habitat.” – Stefan

These stories were shared at Mujeres Mutantes’ BLOOM in the Port Ministries, Back of the Yards, Chicago on April 29, 2017

“La mariposa monarca para mí significa libertad. Maneras de poder ayudar a la mariposa monarca es respetado la vida de todos los animalitos que la acompañan en su camino también y respetado las plantitas que le dan comida y hogar.” – Manu

“La mariposa monarca son conocidas por su increíble y masiva migración que lleva a millones hasta Michoacán México. Yo soy de Michoacán y soy una emigrante de este país y el plantar flores recomendadas podemos conservar estas maravillosas mariposas.” – Gema

“La mariposa monarca se desciende más en tiempos de verano, o sea cuando son los tiempos del días soleados. Yo creo que estoy segura que si se introduce a los niños, ellos son los que más si se introduce a los niños, ellos son los que más se interesaran en un proyecto de estas mariposas. Cómo visitar la escuelas en los años primero, kinder, preschool. Seria una buen modo de empezar.” – Maria

These stories were shared at Yollocalli’s End of Year Exhibition & Zine Release in Yollocalli Arts Reach, Little Village, Chicago on May 12, 2017

“Monarch Butterflies represent the moving of all people and/ or animals. It’s a symbol for everything moving and changing in life. I would help save the butterflies in any way I can.” – Anonymous

“The monarch butterflies symbolizes peace, gentlemen, and calmmen. It’s part of nature and is serene. I can see myself working to help Monarch conservation because I love butterflies and I love nature. I do not mind having butterflies on my body.” – Anonymous

“Act I, Scene I. A youth leads a hard knock life in lil’ chicago village and has a rough path ahead of them, there’s no hope for these butterfly children who find hope in mariposas of Mexico. Instead of picking up blunts of weed, we plant seeds of milkweed.” – August

“The Monarch butterfly mean to me an expression to freedom. One of the ways I see myself working to help Monarch conservation by spreading awareness and sharing personal thoughts, stories or even ideas.” – Adi

“The monarca butterfly means the change and a new life to me. I would help it by planting as much milkweed as I can to help repopulate this beautiful insect.” – Anonymous

“The monarch butterfly is helpful to our environment because it spreads pollen. Also, they are pretty.” – Anonymous

These stories were shared at Chicago Dyke March in Little Village, Chicago on June 24, 2017

“I was in Mexico City thinking about the trajectory of my life so far. The life that you live, just like a story that you tell, validates itself and I was grateful to my grandmother for giving my both. She had recently passed away. In that moment of gratitude, a Monarch passed by me, and I took it as a sign that while the future might not always be easy, I would always have wings.” – Anonymous

“Soy mexicana e indocumentada y me identifico con la travesía de la mariposa monarca: cruzando fronteras. Puedo comprometerme a ayudar a plantar flores que sean santuarios para las mariposas porque todos merecemos ser libres y vivir una vida plena.” – Anónimo

“I am an afrolatina who identifies as Black Puerto Rican and Mexican. I was raised by my latino side and always struggled with identifying with any of my ethnicities. The Monarch represents me stepping into my Afro Latinidad and knowing my identity is not in pieces but I am Mexican. I am Black. I am Puerto Rican.” – Admaira

“The Monarch Butterfly means diaspora and resilience. My mom is from Michoacán and always pointed out monarcas and told me that she comes from where the butterflies migrate and one day I’ll go home and visit, like the offspring of the monarcas here.” -Anonymous

¡Si eres mexicanx o mexicoamericanx viviendo en Chicago, comparte tu cuento con nosotros!